The genial sunshine fell down, bringing a bit of warmth, the breeze blew, and the fragrance of the flowers in the yard was refreshing. Qin Huaidao came out of the cellar to get some air, but his face was gloomy and terrible, and he could not feel the warmth of the sun. He had just interrogated more than a dozen people.
, finally figured out that the Tibetan army infiltrated from a small pass in Minzhou.
The prisoner mentioned a very scary thing. The pass was steep and the road was narrow. It could be said that one person was in charge of the pass. There was a garrison regiment, that is, two hundred people. The highest general was a school captain. But when they entered the pass, the pass was empty.
One person, after successfully passing customs, arrived at an official road station.
All the people in the post station were massacred. Someone was waiting and brought a lot of clothes. After everyone changed their clothes, they disguised themselves as caravans and divided them into parts. Each team had 500 people, ten teams at a time, and was led by one person.
Go out at night, choose a place with few people, try to take mountain roads, avoid cities and villages, and cross the Qinling Mountains to reach Wentian Temple.
We couldn’t explain the specific route, we didn’t know the words, we didn’t interact with people, and each group was different. We just followed the leader and marched in a hurry. The leader had a carrier pigeon to contact the outside world. From time to time, he took everyone on detours, probably to avoid danger.
Officers and soldiers are patrolling, and it can be seen that there are insiders along the way.
All the dead soldiers were killed in the battle, no one was captured, and could not be interrogated. The man in black was recruited and admitted to being the killer of Fengyulou. He usually spreads around various places, responsible for investigating intelligence, monitoring news, and acting under the orders of Wentianguan. As for other strongholds, he does not know anything about them.
, confidentiality measures are very strict.
Fang Yiai was still continuing the interrogation to verify the authenticity of the news and see if he could find any new clues. However, Qin Huaidao knew that it would be difficult. Killing an official was tantamount to rebellion. The person behind it could not be careless and leave clues. It seemed that
, we can only force Tubo to reveal the person behind it.
"Sir?" Li Yixie hurried over and asked curiously: "The cleaning is almost done. Can you find any clues? Do you need me to do anything?"
"Assist Fang Yiai to continue the interrogation. Everyone will be interrogated before dawn tomorrow." Qin Huaidao warned. Seeing that it was getting late, he left in a hurry and came to the Tubo embassy. Seeing that the door was surrounded by a large number of Qianniu guards, Cheng Yaojin
He was watching in person and came forward to pay homage.
"Why are you here?" Cheng Yaojin asked in surprise.
"Come and see how the people inside are doing?" Qin Huaidao asked.
"If you dare to jump, I will kill them. By the way, have those dead soldiers been investigated?"
Qin Huaidao shook his head and looked at the embassy gate. It was quiet inside, and said, "I'll go in and take a look."
"The Holy One has decreed that you are the chief judge and can have contact with me. I will accompany you in."
The two of them entered the embassy together and saw a person in the hall, sitting quietly with a thoughtful look on his face. Qin Huaidao came forward, sat down opposite him, stared at him and asked, "What is his name?"
"You are Lord Protector Qin?" The other party recognized Qin Huaidao, his face changed slightly, he stood up and saluted, then sat down again, and said guiltily: "Master Qin, regarding the Tubo people's sneak attack on you, foreign minister
I don’t know anything about it, and it has nothing to do with me, Chao Zanpu. It’s a private behavior, so please be careful.”
Seeing that the other party spoke fluent Tang, Qin Huaidao immediately corrected him without the need for translation: "They are Tubo troops, not Tubo people. They belong to your army stationed on the Jishi Mountain."
"This is impossible. Even if the identity is true, it is their behavior in private. Our court has no intention of murder. The great Songtsen Gampo admires your country's culture and is preparing to follow the Tang system, practice Tang rites, learn Tang language, and send foreign ministers
I came here to ask for some books from the Tang Dynasty, and asked the king of Tang Dynasty to appoint disciples of saints to spread Confucianism in our dynasty, and to bring up the issue of marriage again. The great Songtsen Gampo had long heard that the princess of Tang Dynasty was gentle, virtuous, well-informed, and wanted to bring up the marriage marriage again. How could the war be rekindled?
"
The reason sounded very good, but Qin Huaidao didn't believe a word of it and asked coldly: "Have you ever heard of trying to cover up the truth? In the art of war, it is called building plank roads openly and concealing Chencang. There are two benefits to sending you here. First, there is a reason to let you go.
Tubo itself has nothing to do with it. Secondly, if it succeeds, it can also take away the Tang Dynasty books, students and princesses from our dynasty. It’s a good plan. Songtsen Gampo sent you to do this. I guess your identity is not simple. Who are you?"
"Foreign Minister Tubo's Great Commentary on Ludong Praise."
"Are you Lu Dongzan?" Qin Huaidao's face changed slightly. This person had a great influence on Tubo. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is the first famous official of Tubo. His name was recorded in the history books. Qin Huaidao had heard of it, but he did not expect it to be the other person. He looked carefully at him.
, with a medium build and average appearance, he looks no different from ordinary people. The only difference is his eyes, which are calm and powerful, as if he can penetrate people's hearts and see through everything.
Qin Huaidao did not remember the great achievements of the other party, but he knew that this guy had a great influence on Tubo. Without him, Tubo would not be as strong as it was. This alone was enough to explain a lot. If he killed the other party, Tubo would not be strong and would fight among itself.
Internal friction, going downhill.
Thinking of this, Qin Huaidao became murderous.
Lu Dongzan felt Qin Huaidao's murderous intention, his heart trembled, and he became vigilant.
Qin Huaidao was proficient in observing micro-expressions. When he saw that the other party did not panic, his eyes were alert, and he quickly returned to normal. This showed that he was a person who was good at forbearing. This person should not be left alone. Then he thought about it, this guy is a Tubo official, and the official is a Tubo official.
, equivalent to the prime minister, with a high position, it can be seen that Songtsan Gambo attaches great importance to him. It would be a pity to kill him. It is better to extract his value and decide later. He looked at Cheng Yaojin: "Gong Lu, this person is suspected of being the mastermind of murdering me.
Is it okay to take him away? You are the chief judge, and everything is up to you."
"No problem." Cheng Yaojin said nonchalantly.
"Thank you, Duke Lu." Qin Huaidao said politely, looked at Lu Dongzan and added coldly: "Lu Dongzan, you are suspected of murdering me and intending to provoke war between the two countries. Come with me."
"Master Qin, do you have any evidence?" Lu Dongzan stood up, his eyes a little cold.
"The Tubo army is the evidence. Without orders from superiors, how dare they?"
"I have said that they acted privately and have nothing to do with me or Tubo. Lord Qin is framed and framed. I am not convinced, and presumably the envoys from various countries living nearby will not be convinced either. In the country of etiquette in the Tang Dynasty, how can Lord Qin do this?
Doing this is such an act that chills the hearts of all the countries in the world?"
Qin Huaidao smiled: "There is no need to provoke me with words. This rhetoric is useless to me. Now I am killing you in my personal capacity and has nothing to do with the court. What do you think?"
"You?" Lu Dongzan's face changed slightly. He didn't expect that Qin Huaidao was completely different from the people he usually interacted with. Shouldn't Tang Chen die to save face, be polite in everything, and act according to the rules?
"Why, you sent people to kill me just because you were a private person. It has nothing to do with Tubo. It's not okay for me to kill you in my private capacity. According to the law of the Tang Dynasty, the prince is not guilty of killing a foreigner and only needs to pay a small amount of money. You are a Tubo
As an envoy, but he is also a foreigner, the maximum compensation is ten ounces of silver, do you want to give it a try?"
"You...you are the selfish Tubo Dynasty and intend to provoke war between the two countries. When you met with the King of Tang before, the King of Tang only ordered me to cooperate with the investigation and did not convict you. I refused to accept it and asked to see the King of Tang," Lu Dong praised
Anxious.
"You are not qualified to see your Majesty if you are waiting for sin." Qin Huaidao said coldly, looked at Cheng Yaojin and added: "Gong Lu, please send someone to escort this person to the Supervisory Mansion."
"It's a small matter." Cheng Yaojin agreed and called in a team of people.
When he walked out of the embassy, Lu Dongzan suddenly shouted: "Master Qin wants to frame Tibet and punish him. Everyone, the Tang Dynasty treats foreign ministers like this, which is chilling. You should be careful, your lips will be as cold as your teeth."
There were many embassies from various countries nearby. Some people saw this scene at the door and went in to report. Some people came out to watch. Qin Huaidao felt cold in his heart. This guy actually wanted to provoke tension among all countries and unite against the Tang Dynasty. It didn’t matter to all countries. The Tang Dynasty had unparalleled military power.
, whoever dares to jump will be destroyed, but corrupt Confucianism will harm the country.
Cheng Yaojin also thought of something and ordered: "Take it away quickly."
A Qianniu Guard pushed Lu Dongzan, and Lu Dongzan staggered a few steps and fell to the ground. The Qianniu Guard was frightened and was at a loss. Qin Huaidao saw the Qianniu Guard take action, but the force was not strong. Lu Dongzan
He was in his prime and could not fall down. It was obviously intentional. He suddenly had an idea and shouted: "Don't touch him!"
Lu Dongzan fell to the ground and continued to cry out for injustice, attracting many people nearby to watch, most of them from other countries.
"Surround up, be careful of someone assassinating you." Qin Huaidao reminded.
The Qianniu Guards acted quickly and surrounded Lu Dongzan. Cheng Yaojin was a little confused, so he looked at Qin Huaidao and asked in a low voice: "My dear nephew, what are you doing?"
"He likes to scream about injustice, so let him shout enough to see who jumps out." Qin Huaidao said in a low voice.
Cheng Yaojin was also a bold leader. His eyes lit up, he nodded knowingly, looked at the envoys from various countries and shouted: "You see, you are not allowed to get closer than ten meters, and you all need to move back. Otherwise, I will punish you with the crime of assassination with intent to commit murder."
No one who could be sent as an envoy was a fool, so they all retreated.
Someone asked: "Gong Lu, what did you do wrong with the Tubo Theory to deserve such treatment?"
Cheng Yaojin ignored the other party. When Qin Huaidao saw the other party dressed as a Japanese, he immediately thought of a nationality and felt cold in his heart. He said: "Don't ask questions that shouldn't be asked. How can you, a foreign minister, interfere with our affairs? Could it be that he is an accomplice?"
"No, no." The other party said quickly.
"Why are you asking so many questions? I look at you like..." Qin Huaidao said coldly.
When the other party heard this, he became angry and took a few steps forward and said: "Master Qin treats the foreign ministers like this, is he trying to provoke a dispute between the two countries? In the field, the Japanese envoys are like this, are you not afraid of chilling the hearts of all the countries in the world?"
"Inquiring about the rebellion, his behavior is suspicious, please come and arrest him." Qin Huaidao said coldly.
Qianniuwei glanced at Cheng Yaojin, swarmed up, held him down, and yelled, "Baga, what are you doing? You are humiliating the Japanese country. I want to see the King of Tang."
Qin Huaidao went up and slapped the opponent's face several times, swollen his cheeks and knocked out several teeth. The other party felt the murderous intent in Qin Huaidao's eyes, and his heart trembled inexplicably. He couldn't figure out why Qin Huaidao hated him so much, but he knew that he would be afraid if he yelled again.
I have to die, I don’t dare to shout anymore.
"Who else wants to inquire?" Qin Huaidao looked around coldly.
Everyone's expressions changed slightly, and they felt that they were the same enemy. Tubo treated them this way, and it might happen to them one day. Their lips were broken and their teeth were cold, but no one immediately jumped out to speak.
Qin Huaidao knew that if all countries were to unite because of this, although he was not afraid, it would still be troublesome. It would be better to have less trouble. He said coldly: "Listen up, I will only say this once. Tubo will send five thousand troops to infiltrate.
I am going to assassinate you. I believe you are aware of the fact that I brought the prisoners into the city. There are still hundreds of prisoners of the Tibetan army. We must not lie. The Tibetan prisoners have confessed. They were ordered by Lu Dongzan. I was ordered to take the lead.
Interrogation, is there anything wrong with arresting Lu Dongzan and questioning him?"
It doesn't matter whether the prisoners are recruited or not, they are under control anyway and no one knows the truth. Only when the charges are proven can the envoys from various countries be reassured.
Of course, the envoys from various countries knew about the prisoners entering the city, and were blocked by the Qianniu Guards escorting them. They could not go forward to observe, and knew that they were the Tibetan army. However, no one questioned Qin Huaidao. Such a major event would never be ignored without certain evidence.
Let the real murderer go free from Tubo.
Thoughts flashed through my mind quickly, and the envoys from various countries looked much better.
Qin Huaidao calmed everyone down and waited for a while. Seeing that no one jumped out, he took the people back to the official office of the Ministry of Communications and imprisoned them in the cellar without interrogating them at all. He told Fang Yiai to lead people to guard them and not allow any
If anyone comes into contact with the two people, they are not allowed to give anything, and they are locked up in a small dark room.
Afterwards, Qin Huaidao hurried to the palace, asked for instructions and was taken to Ganlu Hall.
Li Er was still staying up late to review the memorial. When he saw Qin Huaidao coming in, he put down the memorial, pointed to Xiuzhen next to him and said, "Sit down and talk. I knew you were back. I heard that you took the Tibetan envoy Lu Dongzan and the Japanese envoy.
Did you take Chen Tianzhong away? Tell me, why did you do this?"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Qin Huaidao was not polite. How tired is it to stand? He sat down, his face became serious, and he organized his words and said: "Your Majesty, after interrogation, the captives confessed that they entered the country from a small pass in Minzhou. There were people to help them, and the five thousand people were divided into ten.
The two caravans traveled separately, with different routes. They traveled day and night, choosing the uninhabited island paths and mountain roads. They used carrier pigeons to contact the outside world along the way and avoided patrols. It can be seen that there was someone coordinating the caravan, and they arrived at Wentian Temple three days ago."
"Can the pass be investigated?" Li Er's eyes turned cold.
"Thirty miles south of Minzhou, there is Niushan Pass. The pass is remote, the road is narrow, and it is easy to defend and difficult to attack. There is a group of people guarding it. It is said that they entered the pass at dark, but the pass was empty. They passed smoothly and there was no communication along the way.
, is only responsible for guiding the way, and leaves after arriving at the place. He doesn’t know much, and he continues to interrogate other people.”
"I will never forgive these bastards. What do you think?" Li Er asked.
"Please give an order from the Holy One to let the Luzhou border troops capture the pass defenders and bring them to justice. After I and others have gathered all the troops, we will track down the people who led the way. We will use a two-pronged approach to see who can't sit still and jump out."
Li Er thought for a while and said: "Capturing the pass defenders is easy. It can be done with an imperial edict. The people who lead the way may not be able to find it. This alone may not be enough. With your temperament, it is definitely more than that, right?"
"The best way is to force Tibet to stand up and confess the person behind it. The court will have great justice. It is difficult to convince the public with just the testimony of a few prisoners. Therefore, I suggest using troops against Tibet..."
Just when he said this, Li Er interrupted: "No, firstly, the battle of Goguryeo has just ended, everything is in ruins, and the imperial court has no energy left to fight again. Secondly, the selection of soldiers has not been completed, and there are no soldiers available..."
Qin Huaidao smiled and said nothing, listening patiently.
Li Er saw that Qin Huaidao was full of wisdom and confidence, so he changed the topic and asked: "Are you as sure of victory as when you sent troops to Khitan?"
"Back to the Holy One, we only need 5,000 troops and horses, with enough arrows. We don't need food and grass. We have to fight to support the war. If I let you lead the troops, you have the power to make decisions. I have a 70% to 80% chance of forcing Tibet to surrender, and a 50% chance
Grasp the destruction of the country."
"Why?" Li Er became interested. Five thousand soldiers and horses were not many, and the loss would be the same as before. But if we win, the sword hanging in the west of the Tang Dynasty will be gone, and a large area will be included in the Tang Dynasty.
What a great achievement, unprecedented, isn't it wonderful?
As a horse-riding emperor, Li Er had a deep obsession with opening up new territories. He wanted to conquer a large territory in his lifetime and prove that he was right at the beginning of the Xuanwu Sect and that he was more suitable to be the Holy Emperor than Prince Yin, and to be the first emperor in the ages.
.
Qin Huaidao breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Li Er was tempted. If he really objected, he could go it alone, but the cost would be too high. He looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping and then whispered: "Your Majesty, you still remember the bombing I mentioned.
Is it something from the mountain? I call it dynamite. You can make something that sounds like thunder and can kill a war horse within one foot."
Li Er looked at Qin Huaidao with a little more fear in his eyes. Then he thought about it. Qin Huaidao did not love power and was not in charge of soldiers. He was still willing to take out this thing. It showed that he had no ambition. He waited for a moment and asked: "Is there any
Real thing?"
"It hasn't been made yet. It will take some time." Qin Huaidao could see Li Er's fear, but he didn't care. The worst he could do was fly away. He continued: "I also plan to make something that can fly into the sky. This is what I promised to give to Princess Yuzhang for her birthday.
The gifts will be produced in large quantities at that time, and the explosives will be released from a controlled manner, directly bombing the Tubo Palace."
"hiss--"
Li Er secretly took a breath of air. If he used the same tactics to attack the palace, wouldn't he know how he would die? The fear emerged again, but then he thought about it, Qin Huaidao was too capable, and there were many princes standing behind him.
Even if he gets gunpowder and the means to create flying objects, this kind of person can only win over him. God knows what more magical means he has?
Thinking of Yuzhang, Li Er felt a little depressed. He used to feel sorry for the good cabbage being given away, but now he is worried that Yuzhang is too young and cannot get married and have children. As time goes by, who knows what changes will happen?
No, we have to find a way to tie Qin Huaidao!
Suddenly, Li Er thought of the previous conversation where he summoned Tubo for a grand discussion. The Tibetans were still evil and wanted to marry. Since they wanted to attack Tubo, of course they couldn't marry. Why not fulfill Qin Huaidao? All for the sake of imperial power.
With a thought in his heart, Li Er asked: "When do you want to send troops?"
Qin Huaidao didn't know that Li Er had countless thoughts running through his mind, and said: "If we leave in a month, we can still come back to celebrate Princess Yuzhang's birthday. Since I agree, I can't break the contract."
"It's a good thing to keep one's word. The troops will be dispatched in one month. It's only more than a month before my birthday. How can it be done in such a short time?" Li Er was surprised and asked.
"Forcing them to surrender is enough, but if we destroy the country, it may not be possible."
Li Er, however, thought hard and forced the other party to surrender. Why not take the opportunity to destroy the country? How could he allow others to sleep soundly beside the bed? He asked: "What if the country is destroyed?"
"It's hard to say, I'm afraid it will take more than half a year." Qin Huaidao said uncertainly.
"Then first force them to surrender, and then destroy the country. As long as you capture Tubo, I will give you a big surprise, how about it?" Li Er asked with a smile.
Qin Huaidao didn't think much about it. He attacked Tubo purely for revenge and to vent his anger. He nodded and agreed. Li Er continued: "Within one month, I will select five thousand elite soldiers and wait for your news."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Qin Huaidao bowed and thanked him and continued: "The Supervisory Office has allocated one hundred experts from the Criminal Department who are good at investigation, interrogation and prison operations. We need one person to assist in management. I also ask Your Majesty to arrange for one person to come over as soon as possible, so that I can be free to do other things.
.”
"Who do you recommend?" Li Er asked calmly.
Qin Huaidao did not touch human affairs, but Li Er was suspicious and said bluntly: "It all depends on the Holy One."
Li Er liked Qin Huaidao very much. He was talented, not greedy for merit, not obsessed with power, and didn't even want to be an official. He felt relieved, thinking that the Minister of Punishment was Li Jing, and the person selected must be inextricably related to Li Jing.
, not as good as an adult, said: "Li Derjian, the son of Duke Wei, happens to be unemployed, so I will go over and help you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Qin Huaidao saw that this was indeed the case, but did not show it. After thanking him, he continued: "One more thing. According to the prisoner's account, Ludongzan was Songtsen Gampo's most powerful minister and the first noble family in Tubo. This man had great talents.
, Songtsen Gampo relied on the other party to secure the throne, and letting him go back would be detrimental to our government. But if the other party dies, no one can help Songtsen Gampo to shake other aristocratic families, and Tubo will be in chaos."
"Are you sure?" Li Er's eyes lit up.
"Back to Your Majesty, this is what the prisoner said. I have never been to Tubo, so I am not sure, but this kind of thing is more likely to be believed. What's more, this person Lu Dongzan can sit in a high position in Tubo. How can he be mediocre? This person is also the Holy One."
If you have seen him before, you should be able to tell that this person is extraordinary." Qin Huaidao reminded solemnly.
Li Er recalled all the things Lu Dongzan said, and said in a deep voice: "I have met this man several times, and he is indeed unique. This visit is to ask for the Tang Dynasty book, the disciples of the saint, the teachings and the marriage. It seems that
I just asked for some benefits, but I rejected them, what do you think about this?"
"Your Majesty, it's good to refuse." Qin Huaidao said quickly: "Your Majesty, Songtsen Gampo has no shortage of women. The marriage is just a way for him to divert the attention of His Majesty and the officials of the court. He asked the saint's children to preach in Tubo, and his education was also to win over the Confucian gang.
When they talked, Lu Dongzan’s real purpose was to ask for books.”
"It's just a few books, what's the problem?" Li Er asked in surprise.
"If it's a saint's classic, it doesn't matter how many, give it to them, but I speculate that what Lu Dongzan really wants is skills. Once the books on manufacturing skills are leaked, Tubo will lead to a great development of smelting, and the level of weapon manufacturing will catch up with our dynasty.
It will be a big disaster then. I dare to ask, does Lu Dongzan's letter of credence requesting the marriage mention asking the Holy Spirit to reward more craftsmen so that the princess's life will not be too simple and difficult after she passes away?"
"I did talk about it when I proposed the marriage last year." Li Er suddenly thought of the request made by Tubo for the marriage last year. At that time, he was soft-hearted and felt that he was indebted, so he had someone secretly prepare some. Skill books also mentioned that at that time, the officials thought it was too big.
It's a big country, it just makes a few books, there's no need to be stingy, no one sees the conspiracy behind it.
Thinking of this, Li Er broke into a cold sweat and said coldly: "Fortunately, you jumped out to oppose me. I almost fell into the Tubo trap and even paid for the princess. This Lu Dongzan has such a vicious plan. Those saints should be punished."
The disciples should also deserve to die. In order to spread Confucian teachings, they actually ignored the safety of the imperial court."
"Your Majesty, if you kill Lu Dongzan, you can use your bad words to provoke instability in the Tubo Dynasty. You can kill two birds with one stone."
"Lu Dongzan is a foreign minister after all..."
Qin Huaidao understood the meaning behind it and said with a smile: "I imprisoned Lu Dongzan and the captives together. How he died later, I don't know. At worst, I will hand the captives over to Tubo to ask."
"Hahaha, you brat." Li Er smiled with satisfaction and asked, "That Tanaka?"
"Japanese pirates are white-eyed wolves. They are not well-bred. They take the opportunity to kill them and frighten other vassal countries. However, just this matter will make all countries nervous and they will inevitably share the same hatred. I ask the Holy Spirit to take the opportunity to issue an order to appease and stabilize all countries.
In order to cover for my secret attack on Tibet."
"Wouldn't it be unfair to you if I do this?" Li Er waved his hands nonchalantly and said with a bit of domineering: "It's just a vassal state. I'm not a person who is afraid of trouble. How can I embarrass my ministers? Just go ahead and do it.
Let them jump, just in time to deal with it, as long as Tibet is forced to surrender within a month, no one in the country will dare to jump."
Seeing that Li Er was a sensible and domineering person, Qin Huaidao smiled with relief, agreed, and left in a hurry.
It was late at night when we returned to the mansion.
Early the next morning, just as Qin Huaidao was about to go to the government office, Wang Gonggong and others sent two imperial edicts. One was to re-establish the Supervisory Office and confer the title of Qin Huaidao Fu Yin. The Supervisory Office was upgraded to a third-rank yamen instead of the previous fifth-rank.
There is also a secret edict to attack Tubo.
With this secret edict, Qin Huaidao could free his hands and feet to prepare for relevant matters, otherwise he would be criticized and even charged with rebellion. Also sent were rewards, a hundred bolts of cloth, two large boxes of precious medicinal materials, and two large boxes of precious medicinal materials.
Boxes of jewelry and jade are all good things.
Qin Huaidao asked He'er to take people to move things into the warehouse, and the prince pointed to the carriage.
The carriage was very ordinary, and the curtains were drawn tightly so that one could not see inside. Qin Huaidao asked curiously: "My lord, who is coming in the carriage?"